Disaster... That was how Grey would describe the se before him. It was like a small-scale apocalypse which came down to an i vilge. Something no one in the right mind would wish to happen.
If one could look at the viity from the sky, the burnt down vilge will seem like a rge scar on the verdant and lush forest. A scar that will take a very long time to heal and recover.
Even when he was still tired from the previous fight, Grey searched ead every house and appraised each body he found in the small glimmer of hope that he would find even a single survivor.
Seven... een... Thirty-two...
Slowly but surely, the bodies that Grey found increased in he more dead bodies he found, the more crestfallen abroken he became. The very least he could do was gather them and give them a proper burial.
Somewhere inside Grey's heart, a thought that he could have saved those unfortunate people if only he had arrived earlier brewed up as time passed. If only he had woken up earlier, they could have tinued living.
"If only", those two words kept creeping baside his mind a, as if a curse of guilt squeezing his heart and sce dry to the point where it made it hard for him to breathe.
While he knows he is not to bme, his sce as a person just wouldn't stop reminding him of the "what ifs" that could have happened instead of the devastating se he had taken apart.
As Grey appraised the corpses and observed the ruined vilge, he had learned more about the vilge. It seemed that the vilge was once a small but thriving elven vilge living quietly in the forest. It was a vilge where elves regardless of sex, age, and occupation once lived in harmony.
Who would have thought that in just a few moments, such a peaceful vilge would turn into a wastend ravaged by fmes. Who would have thought that a vilge flowing with happiness would bee a ruin filled with the st of death.
The cause of the destru had already passed away, but that alone wouldn't serve justice to the lives lost, the futures stolen, and peace shattered. Especially when it was clearly an unnatural phenomenon.
Only ohing was clear, no matter who the perpetrator of this disaster was, Grey could never five them. If one day, Grey ever crosses paths with them, he swore deep inside his heart and in honor to everyohat had lost their lives on this day, that he will serve justiatter how much it costs him.
Grey didn't swear an oath because of his heroic ideals nor because of a strong sense of justice. It may be because he felt a sense of responsibility to do so, or maybe to appease his guilt even a little, or it may be because he just wao do so, or maybe a mixture of many reasons. Not everuly knows the reason why. All he knew was that it was a necessary thing to do.
The sun had already started to set and Grey had gathered more than a hundred bodies in a single area for a burial. But despite finding so many bodies, none showed signs of life, making Grey more hopeless than ever.
"Alright. This should be the st one" ［Grey］
Uhe other houses which were pletely razed to the ground, for some reason, the st oill had some of its pilrs standing. While it may have received the least amount of damage, it was still in a state that wouldn't be different from a pile of rubble and burnt wood.
During his recmation of bodies, Grey had ied the houses farthest away from the ter as they had received the least amount of damage in general. He was hoping there would be a higher ce of people alive in there. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in all of the houses he visited.
The only clusion Grey reached as to why the st house received the least damage even though it was the closest to the soures was that it may had been the vilge chief's house and was more sturdy than others,
As Grey removed the rubble and debris, he saw the burnt corpses of two elves huowards the ground, as if shielding themselves from the falling debris in the colpsing house.
From Grey's appraisal, the two seemed to have been an elven couple in their mid-thirties. Dying together while in each other's embrace, Grey couldn't help but feel evebroken.
Slowly, Grey retrieved their bodies to pce them into the vilge ter which was soon to bee a burial site. But the moment he carried the sed body, a surprise was unveiled in front of his eyes.
Uhe couple was an elven girl who seemed to be in her early teenage years. Uhe other bodies, she wasn't pletely burnt and only received high-degree burns all over her body.
??Appraisal!?? ［Grey］
Not wasting any time, Grey quickly but gently put down the body he was carrying and hastily appraised the elven girl in front of him.
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Yuna
[Race] Elf
[Sex] Female
[Age] 13
[Status] Severely Critical, Unscious
[Mana Capacity] 378 [Mana Quality] H
[bat Power] 7 [Threat Level] H
[Attribute] Ice [Magic Profione
[Css] None
[Physical Enha] 7%
[Ability] Nihility (5☆)
-----------------------------------
"A survivor!" ［Grey］
Grey excimed happily as he saw the girl's status, but that happiness didn't st long wheiced the words "Severely Critical".
During Grey's time in the forest, he had taken note of the monsters' as' statuses and vaguely knew what each of them meant. And the status "Severely Critical" meant the person iion only has less than 5 mio live.
Grey had learnt the other attributes and arts in his spare time to broaden his knowledge. Of course, brawling and wind spells are still his specialty. He had learnt a little of healing spells, but only the most basies as he really didn't o use them in the dungeon.
??Heal!?? ［Grey］
Grey tried to use a healing spell hastily, but it was no use to the degree of severity the girl was in. In addition to that, he poured all the mana he had in that single spell.
'Dammit! It's not w!' ［Grey］
In panic, Grey searched up both his iory and knowledge for immediate solutions he could use, but it was fruitless. He her had the mana nor ability to perform any of the solutions he found.
Grey had a handful of "Diviion", but potions were something that had to be taken in directly by the user. Something the unscious elven girl was incapable of doing.
Of course, Grey could force the potion using a mouth to mouth method, but if he moves too hastily or makes even a slight mistake, it could endahe girl even more. In other words, it was too risky, especially since he is somewhat dizzy from mana exhaustion.
'Goddamnit! Am I really incapable of saving even one person?!' ［Grey］
In frustration, Grey puhe ruined floor with all the strength he had left. The punch was so powerful that it made Grey's fist bleed from the impact despite the defense boost of the "Divine Amulet".
'If only I have a revival potion, I could have saved everyoー !!!' ［Grey］
As a sudden realization hit him, Grey hastily unhooked the "Divine Amulet" and removed it from his neck. And without toug the girl's body, he gently pced the item on the palm of the girl's hand.
Grey didn't know what were the requirements for ao be sidered as "equipped", but in desperatio everything on the fact that the girl was "holding" the "Divine Amulet". It was his one and only hope.
A few seds after Grey pced the amulet on top of the girl's palm, the girl's breathing decreased at an arming rate, until finally, she drew her st breath and silence filled the surroundings.
One sed... Four seds... Twelve seds...
With every passing sed, Grey fell further and further into despair. He didn't know how long it took for the amulet to activate as he had never experienced death before. Even if he did, he wouldn't have still known that a dead person couldn't t time.
A few minutes had passed and no matter how many times Grey checked the girl's status, it always showed "Deceased". There were no signs of life nor even any ges iatus s. The only thing moving about was the wind as it withe heartbreaking se.
Grey was about to lose hope, when suddenly, a golden beam of light came down from the sky like a lightning bolt falling from the heavens. It was su eye-catg se that one could spot even if they were a couple of kilometers away. A phenomenon which could easily be mistaken by anyone as a dest of a heavenly being.
??Appraisal!?? ［Grey］
As the light faded away and the amulet lost its shine, Grey immediately appraised the girl without wasting any time. In that moment, the words "Deceased" was removed from the girl's status and was repced with "Healthy".
The moment Grey saw those words, 2 streaks of tears flowed down from both of his eyes. It was a moment where he felt such a grand feeling of relief and happihat he had never felt. And the reason he was so happy was simple. It was because he was able to save someone, even if it was only one person.
Of course, he wasn't the only reason the girl survived. If it hadn't been for her parents, she would have joihe other side too. Grey could only imagine how much the girl's parents had loved her for them to sacrifice themselves for the slight ce of their child's survival.
After wiping his tears away, Grey retrieved a bunch of clothes from his "Iory" and ged the girl's tattered and burnt clothes with it. While seeing the girl's body couldn't be avoided, no one in their right mind would think of something i during that moment.
Grey then grabbed a futon from his "Iory" and id down the unscious girl on it for her to rest. Seeing her sleeping peacefully, Grey left the girl there and tio carry the body of her parents to the vilge ter.
With the help of earth magic, the burial which would have normally taken a long amount of time was pleted ihan an hour. Simirly, Grey was able to sculpt gravestones and carved the elves' names into it in a short amount of time.
"May you all rest in peace." ［Grey］
The sun had long gone from the sky and not evears nor the moon were showing. The only thing that could be noticed are the dark clouds blog the light from the stars. It could be said that even the sky was weeping from the tragedy the elven vilge had suffered.
Time had passed but the elven girl was yet to awake from her slumber. Taking things upon himself to decide, Grey carried the girl in his arms and took her to his home for her to rest properly.
The sun had risen and the girl tio sleep. As frey, he stood by her side when she wakes up and didn't sleep. Well, even if tried to, the ses he witnessed yesterday kept haunting him, preventing him from sleeping.
"Hm.... I wonder if it's too bnd? Should I add more salt?" ［Grey］
Wasting his time away, Grey cooked breakfast for himself and for the girl whenever she wakes up. Of course, while he was cooking, he was still listening closely
"Huh...? Where... am I? ［Yuna］
As Grey was taste testing the stew he made, a voice icked up by his ears ing from his bedroom just a few steps away. It was undoubtedly the voice of the elven girl who was unscious just a few moments ago.
"Wasn't I in our house? And it was colpsiー Right! The house was colpsing after a beasts attacked the vilge! The beast! Where's the beastー" ［Yuna］
"I defeated it." ［Grey］
Just as the girl was starting to panic, Grey gently opehe door and answered the bewildered girl's question before she had the ce to finish her words.
Seeing Grey ehe girl immediately backed away to the er with eyes full of wariness, fear, and fusion. Of course, it was only a normal rea when one is in a situation she is currently ie that, Grey felt troubled by her as, as if he was a bad guy keeping her hostage.
"Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy. Also, this is my home." ［Grey］
Hearing Grey's introdu, the girl rexed a bit and slowly lowered her guard. The only thi in her eyes were worry and fusion.
"Umm... Is it true that you defeated that beast?" ［Yuna］
"The Magma Crawler? Yeah, I defeated it yesterday." ［Grey］
"Then! Everyone in the vilge, are they all safe?!" ［Yuna］
The moment the girl asked that question, silence quickly enveloped the whole room. It was as if the whole world stopped. To that question, Grey didn't know how to respond to it without hurting the girl's feelings. He only say two words.
"I'm sorry..." ［Grey］
"No... No... You must be joking... You're joking, right...?"［Yuna］
"The vilge was already devastated by fmes when I arrived. You were the only survivor. No, actually, if it weren't for this amulet, you wouldn't be here too. I'm really sorry" ［Grey］
Grey expined as he showed the amulet to the girl. It was the very same amulet which had saved the girl's life. Afterwards, Grey expined everything that happeo the vilge up until the moment where they currently are.
Once again, silence fell in the room. But unlike before, the silehis time was one filled with dread, despair, and disbelief.
"No, that 't be..." ［Yuna］
At that moment, tears overflowed from the girl's watery eyes. And Grey who was the only other person in the room wasn't able to do anything but watch quietly as she bawled out her eyes.
Although Grey had his fair share of experiences from both his current and past lives, he had never experienced anything like the current one. While he could cheer the girl up, he had no way to know what was the best way to go about it. One wrong word and it might worseuation even more.
It took almost an hour before the girl calmed down, but the moment she did, all the life in her eyes was gone. In her eyes, everything became colorless.
Grey tried to cheer the girl up with a meal, but she didn't even notice the meal, no, it would be better to say that she was out of her senses. Like her eyes, her mind was bnk as well.
Iernoon, Grey took the girl to the visit graveyard where her parents and the vilgers lied peacefully, taking a quick route as Grey carried the girl on his back.
The girl wao deny the things Grey said, but seeing the ruin which was once her home vilge and the graveyard before her, she had no other choice but to believe him, even if it meant that her heart must shatter a million pieces.
Like before, the girl once again bawled her eyes up until she was satisfied. By the end of the day, her eyes became more lifeless than before. She just kneeled down motionless as she silently stared at the gravestones of her parents.
As nightfall came, Grey took the girl back to the house. He became even more worried as when he carried her, there wasn't even a sign of resistance. She may be alive, but at that moment, she was nothing but ay shell of what she once was.
A few days have passed sihe day the two visited the graveyard and the girl became more lifeless as the days passed. Grey tried to invite her to a meal multiple times but there was no response from her. It was as if he was talking to a wall.
"Haah... I wonder what I could do for herー !!!" ［Grey］
Grey walked into the kit with the goal to cook up another set of dishes, but what he saw was something he couldn't have imagined even in his wildest imagination. It was the se of the girl attempting to stab her heart with a kit knife.
Without any sed thought, Grey dashed towards the girl and flocked away the knife from her hands. The girl, who didn't even sense Grey's presence, widened her eyes in shock as she saw the knife being flung towards the er.
"What were you thinking?!" ［Grey］
"I... I don't want to live anymore... hic... I already lost everything I had... My parents... My friends... hic... They're all gone... hic... I have no more reason to live..." ［Yuna］
Once again, the girl cried heavily as she fell helplessly into the floor. And once again, Grey didn't know how to hahe situation.
Grey uands where the girl was ing from, but in the end, she was just running away from the pain. After all, no one its suicide for no apparent reason. Suicide is only done when one wants to escape suffering, no matter what kind of suffering it was.
Grey doesn't know what she has experienor what will happen to her iure, but all he knows is that while she's under his care, he's responsible for her.
With everything he's got, Grey braced himself for the worst possible oute. He then kneeled before the girl, grabbed her shoulders, and gave her quite a bit of scolding to get back her grip from life.
"Snap out of it! Why do you think you're still alive!? It's not just a ce! Your parents sacrificed their lives just so you could live! Do you think they sacrificed their lives just for the heck of it!? They did it because they wanted you to live! So don't go around saying you've lost everything because you still have the memories you've spent with them. If yohen who will remember them? That's why, if you 't live for yourself, then live... even if it's only for their sake." ［Grey］
Hearing Grey's pieind, the girl was taken aback as she silently stared at him. She uzzled as to why Grey suddenly said those words to her.
"Also, I saved your lives with my items! That means until you've repaid me, your life belongs to me! So don't you dare go dying without my permission!" ［Grey］
At first, the girl was taken aback from Grey's words, but now, she was taken aback by a totally different thing. She was so shocked by Grey's quick ge of attitude that she stopped g all together.
"Well, if you want to repay me, then live your life long and happily. That's the only thing I wish for and the only payment I'll accept. Uand?" ［Grey］
Grey tinued with a mellowed out voice different from his previous approaches. Of course, this was only to vihe girl in case the first words he said to her weren't enough.
Actually, Grey really didn't have a pn on how to approach the g girl, he just copied what he saw and read in dramas and mangas. But while it was all copied, he was sincere ihing he had said.
"Ah, sorry!" ［Grey］
As soon as he realized that he was actually grabbing the girl's shoulders, Grey immediately pulled back his arms and apologized with a flustered face.
"Look, I know I have nht to meddle with your life choices. After all, I'm just a stranger who happeo meet you by ce. But... if you ever need a g shoulder, I'll be right here for you." ［Grey］
Hearing Grey's words before, the girl's eyes started to trickle with tears. Grey didn't know but it will only take one more push and she'll be able to get a tight grip oy once again.
"You take this as just a word of advice from a stranger but maybe... just maybe... there's a reason why God let you live. Don't you want to find out what that reason is?" ［Grey］
"Uhhh... Uhh... Uhwahhhh.... Wahhhhh..." ［Yuna］
Like a surging river, the girl cried her eyes out once again. The only difference from the previous times and the current ones was that her eyes had regaiheir colors.
As the girl bawled her eyes out, Grey sat beside her, listening quietly and waiting patiently in case she ever needed someoo talk to.
No matter how one lives their lives, people will iably enter storms which will tain hardships one ot easily pass through. And like real storms, there will e a time that the storm will perish, paving way fht to shine once again.
Like a disaster which suddenly showed up, these dark days came to an end with the two sitting by the kit ters. It was quite an odd sight, but it was a se which will hold a deep meaning for the two in the far future, but that's a story for another day.
CHAPTER 5 END
